FitSugar

8 Do-Anywhere Exercises

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:05:16 PST

Maybe you can't make it to the gym, or you're on the road, or you can't afford any fitness equipment of your own. Guess what? Not good excuses for being lazy. The great thing about exercise is that you can do it almost anywhere without the need for equipment. If you find yourself in a situation when you want a full-body workout but are limited by locale, try these eight exercises. Your heart will be pumping, muscles worked, and all without the use of any equipment!

How to Work Your Abs With 3 Easy Yoga Moves

PopSugar LivingTV — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:27:05 PST

You may be familiar with how yoga helps to relax and center yourself, but it can also be a great way to work your core. Here, Zelana and Susi show how to do three easy yoga moves that can help strengthen your abs - from the basic downward facing dog, to a harder twist for your obliques, and finally how to up the ante and do a leg thread. Watch our video for more tips on how to properly do these moves.

How FitSugar Readers Recharge Their Batteries

Michele Bell — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:30:00 PDT

Postlunch food comas, caffeine lows, and staring at the computer can get people down in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we don't always have the opportunity to siesta the sleepy eyes away. A curious mind, I wanted to know what keeps FitSugar readers re-energized throughout their days. While napping may seem to be the obvious choice, some readers get pretty creative when they need to recharge their batteries.

Jumping jacks help runfaster when she's stuck at her desk.
OneHungryMess relies on a quick jog and a hot shower to do the trick.
Pilates always recharges pixystik4u.
Depending on her day, GirlOverboard takes a power nap, walks around, or sits on her yoga ball for an hour.
Spectra works out when she gets home from work.

Ready to read the rest?

How Do You Recharge Your Batteries?

Michele Bell — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:00:50 PDT

Which one sounds better to you: a quick run in the park or a 15-minute cat nap? Many folks rely on rest to recharge their batteries while others pump up the volume on their cardio to fire up their engines. A jog around the block, a jump rope routine, or a trip up and down the stairs can get the heart racing, the blood flowing, and the body feeling refreshed. On the other hand, a mini slumber may not burn any calories, but it can offer some much-needed downtime. For those who are somewhere in between, a few yoga stretches can work similar magic.

So tell me, what do you rely on to recharge your batteries?

Get Massaging and Rolling With a Foam Roller

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:47:00 PDT

There's nothing quite like a sports massage to help one feel rejuvenated and refreshed. Unfortunately, we don't all have the time and money required to pamper ourselves on a routine basis. Enter the foam roller. The cylindrical apparatus can provide your body relief in your own home or at the local gym. It helps the body relax and stretches it in ways that are often left to therapeutic masseuses. Come check out a few simple rolling techniques that will have your body smiling inside and out.

Psoas Stretch: If you have tight hip flexors or lower back pain, try the psoas stretch. Lie perpendicularly on the foam roller with your sacrum just on top. Pull one knee up to the chest with the opposite heel on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds and switch legs.
Quad Release: Do you run or climb much? The quad release exercise helps release tension in those muscles. Lie face down with your quads on the roller and your hands on the ground. Using your hands, roll yourself back and forth over the roller to massage the quads.
The IT Band Stretch: Avid runners know that the IT band is not to be messed with. To keep your knees healthy and prevent them from tightening up too much, roll on the IT band area. This video shows you how to do it correctly.

Want more? Come check out some other moves that will massage the glutes, chest, upper back, calves, and shins!

Source

Don't Just Stand There! Burn Some Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:03:59 PST

There are plenty of times during the day when you may find yourself standing around. Maybe you're waiting for the bus or subway, riding the elevator by yourself, or maybe sautéing veggies. Even though you are standing in place, you don't have to stand still. There are plenty of ways for you to move your body around and burn a few extra calories. Some of these you may want to hold off on and try in the privacy of your own home.

Stand with your feet together and lift both heels up and down.
Stand with your feet under your hips and sway from side to side, and do circular motions with your hips clockwise and then counterclockwise.
Bend your leg behind you, grab onto your foot and stretch the front of your right quad. Do both sides. Here's more details on this quad stretch.
Bend one knee and kick your foot back behind you, and then quickly alternate between sides.
Stand tall and alternate bending one knee up to your chest and then the other. Do slow, controlled movements to work your abs, or make the moves quicker to get your heart rate up.

Want to see what else you can do? Then

To warm up your hips and tone your abs, stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width distance apart, and do figure eights with your hips (it's a belly dancing move).
Run or hop in place.
Do side leg raises to work your outer thighs.
Do some squats.
If you're in line at the grocery store, pick up something in your cart and do bicep curls.
Do tree pose or another balancing yoga posture.

Alright, maybe most of these you wouldn't want to try out in public, but you can always try them during a commercial break or something. Source

7 Most Effective Exercises

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:45:00 PST

When it comes to exercises, not all are created equal. While we all may have our favorites, some are better known to be more effective at getting the job done than others. WebMD has created a list of their top seven (odd number, eh?) most effective exercises and here are highlights:

Walking. Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories. And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.
Interval training. Whether you're a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.
Squats. Strength training is essential, the experts say. And our experts tended to favor strength-training exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, are an excellent example.

There are more effective exercises so

Pool Exercises

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 10:16:11 PST

Swimming is a great form of exercise, but when you're in the pool, you can get bored and dizzy just swimming back and forth doing laps. Why not try these exercises to work different muscle groups. You can also use them to warm up or cool down.

Hold on to the side of the pool and work on kicking your legs - do flutter kicks and frog kicks.
You can also use the edge of the pool to keep your balance while doing leg lifts to work the muscles in your tummy, legs and bottom. On each leg, do 10 sets each of lifting your leg in front of you, to the side, and behind you.
Run in the water to increase your heart rate.
Tread water to improve your arm and leg strength.
Just for fun, try doing a handstand in the water - it'll be much easier to stay balanced.
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Don't Let These Exercise Worries Put a Damper on Your Workout

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:41:36 PST

One of the best reasons to slip on a sports bra and lace up a pair of sneaks is because working out makes us feel good. But worrying about common exercise concerns - many of them specific to women - can turn a sweat session into a stress session. Or even worse, allow these issues to completely prevent a workout. Well, we've got you covered. Here are some common exercise worries women share, and ways to move past them so you can enjoy your gym time.

Source: Thinkstock

Bring Sexy Back With This Quick Exercise

Zelana Montminy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:56:49 PST

We tend to obsess about toning our abs, but strengthening the back is important for keeping the torso in balance. One of our fave core exercises, the superman works the back extensors, which run on either side of the spine, as well as the glutes. Press play and learn how to take care of your spine while strengthening your back.